This invention relates to automatic machine guns and fire control mechanisms.
Automatic repeating firearms generally have high firing rates. For example, M4 and M16 machine guns can fire 700-900 or more rounds per minute. While a high firing rate has certain benefits, there can be drawbacks such as decreased accuracy and increased ammunition consumption.
There remains a need for firearm mechanisms having variable rates of fire. There remains a need for novel firearm mechanisms, and a need for mechanisms that can slow the firing rate of available automatic firearms.
It has been discovered that ambient conditions and firearm accessories can impact the cycle rate of firearm action mechanisms. For example, barrel muzzle attachments will often trap more heat in the action mechanism and increase firing rate. There remains a need for firearm mechanisms that are less pervious to cycle rate change due to conditions and accessories.
All US patents and applications and all other published documents mentioned anywhere in this application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Without limiting the scope of the invention a brief summary of some of the claimed embodiments of the invention is set forth below. Additional details of the summarized embodiments of the invention and/or additional embodiments of the invention may be found in the Detailed Description of the Invention below. A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification is provided as well only for the purposes of complying with 37 C.F.R. 1.72. The abstract is not intended to be used for interpreting the scope of the claims.